Cabbage moths, possums, birds, hot northerly winds and late frosts can wipe out a veggie patch in a single night. These garden hoops give you a fast, simple way to protect it. Snap the fibreglass rods together into arches, push the ends into the soil over your raised bed or row, then drape your netting or cloth over the top and clip it on. In a few minutes you've built a low tunnel that keeps the cover off the leaves while the plants grow underneath.

Use it as a garden netting frame, a low poly tunnel with clear plastic, or the frame behind a raised garden bed cover. Put insect mesh over it in spring to stop caterpillars on the brassicas, swap to shade cloth for the heat of January, and use frost cloth in winter if you garden inland. Because the rods are fibreglass, the hoops don't rust, and they come apart again for storage at the end of the season.

Why It Stands Out

• Solid fibreglass rods — they flex into an even arch without kinking, and fibreglass won't rust in wet soil or salty coastal air
• Snap-together sections — each hoop is 5 short rods joined with 4 metal connectors, so the kit packs down small and nothing is too long to fit in the shed
• Wide, roomy arch — each hoop spans about 110 cm and stands about 80 cm high before the ends go into the soil, enough to cover a standard raised bed
• Clips included — the clips hold the fabric down onto the hoops, so the netting stays put through a windy night
• One frame, every season — use insect mesh, bird netting, shade cloth or frost cloth on the same hoops as the year goes on
• Keeps the cover off the leaves — netting resting directly on plants lets pests lay eggs through it and damages soft growth; the hoops hold it clear
• No tools needed — push the rods together, bend them into shape and press the ends into the ground
• Reusable — take them apart after the season, wipe them down and they're ready again next spring

Where to Use

• Raised garden beds — build a cover over the whole bed to keep out birds, possums and cabbage white butterflies
• Veggie rows — set up a low tunnel along an in-ground row of lettuce, brassicas, carrots or strawberries
• Seedling and new plantings — shelter young transplants from hot sun, wind and hungry birds while they settle in
• Strawberry patches — keep birds off ripening berries with a netted tunnel
• Summer shade — hold shade cloth over lettuce and leafy greens so they don't bolt or scorch on 40-degree days
• Frost protection — in cold inland areas, cover winter crops with frost cloth overnight
• Mini greenhouse — add clear plastic in early spring to warm the soil and get seeds off to a faster start

How It Works

1. Rods join into an arch — five fibreglass rods slot into four metal connectors to make one long, flexible hoop.
2. The soil holds it — both ends push into the ground, and the flex in the fibreglass keeps the arch in shape.
3. Hoops form a tunnel — set several hoops in a line along the bed and they make the frame of a low tunnel.
4. Clips hold the cover — lay your fabric over the tunnel and clip it to the hoops so it stays taut and in place.

How to Use

1. Build the hoops — push 5 rods into 4 connectors for each hoop, making sure every joint is fully seated.
2. Set them out — space the hoops 60–100 cm apart along the bed. Use closer spacing in windy spots.
3. Push the ends in firmly — press each end 15–20 cm into moist soil, or slide it down the inside of the raised bed wall, so the hoops don't pull out in wind.
4. Cover and clip — drape your netting or cloth over the hoops, clip it on, and weigh or peg the edges down along the ground.
Tip: for insect mesh, bury or weigh the bottom edge all the way round. Cabbage moths and caterpillars find any gap at ground level. Water the soil first so the hoop ends push in easily.

Care and Maintenance

• Check after storms — push back in any hoops the wind has loosened and re-clip the fabric
• Handle with gloves — fibreglass rods can leave small splinters if they get scratched, so wear gloves when assembling
• Don't over-bend — keep to the natural arch; bending a rod too sharply can crack it
• Clean at the end of the season — knock off the soil and rinse the rods, connectors and clips before storing
• Store out of the sun — keep the kit in a bag in the shed. Long exposure to the Australian sun will slowly weather the rods and clips

Specifications

What's Included

• 5 hoops: 25 fibreglass rods, 20 metal connectors, 16 clips
• 10 hoops: 50 fibreglass rods, 40 metal connectors, 32 clips
• Netting, shade cloth and frost cloth are not included